Declined a little bit with Kunark and Velious, but not badly. Luclin was the first serious decline in quality. Luclin's development was notoriously plagued by internal turmoil within Verant/Sony, and it showed. I still think a decent expansion might've been hidden in there under the garbage, but I have to assess it on what it is, not what it could've been.
Planes or Power is rightly popular among the folks who enjoy zerg raiding, but from my standpoint (I mostly like group content) it mortally wounded EQ. Game never truly recovered from PoP. That singular expansion, moreso than any other, effectively ruined the game for me. Then come Ykesha and Lost Dungeons, both of which were cheaply made insults, then the ultimate insult of Gates and "let's cut this expansion in half and sell it as two!" I quit for the last time in spring 2004 and haven't been back since.
Looking at the above, EQ looks like a tale of poor management. For all its success, given better management and planning it could have been even more than what it was.
Danth
Danth
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